Heheheh, My 2009 Laguna Coupé Already A Classic Here!!

[LowiePete]

19 november 2016

Hello Folks,

Introduction

Being that I forgot the 2015 summary until way too late, I guess it is safer to
try posting 2016's a few weeks early. Most of the work this year has been
on other people's cars, with very few new products tried. The biggest shock
of the year was the demise of availability of ArtDeShine products in the UK,
although at the time of writing a few items remain in Matt's (stangalang) sale.

While I search to find alternatives, at least I still have a core of products
that will probably always stand the test of time, especially in the ease of use
stakes.

The Cars Tackled

First off came a return visit to the Gordon Keeble. This was given a bucketless
wash and a quick clay cloth clean which was done mostly to remove any loose
wax. After a panel wipe, the car was given 2 coats of ADS ArtDeSicko Gel
Coat, then topped a couple of days later with ADS Nano Bio Coat. For the first
time the car won its class at a prestigious concours event, much to the owner's
delight :driver:





Detailing had to be curtailed mid way during my May visit to Cumbria, where
I had treated half of my car to the Gel Coat / Nano Bio Coat treatment. That
and working on the replaced farm workhorse brought to a sudden stop by me
smashing my right wrist in a fall

Next door's Mégane only received a few maintenance washes, then a full detail
in August, where it got the same ADS treatment. Part of that process involved
using ADS Blue Lotion as cleaner / primer. I have found an alternative in
CarPro's "Essence" - more of which below.





Back on the farm in September saw me tackle their new to them Mercedes
C Class. Despite being only 5 years old, the neglect on the paint was bad, so it
will probably be on my future visit in May before I get it back to how I feel it
should look.

This car was my test-mule for CarPro's "Essence", and it turned out to be an
"in at the deep end" task. Considering that the car had obviously only been
attacked with TFR in its previous washes, (the deterioration of the lacquer
on the wheels being the biggest giveaway) I'm happy to put my name to the
results. The black spots in the pictures are pesky flies...





Just a couple of days ago, I re-visited an electric blue Mégane that I had given
a treatment to ADS Gel Coat on top of Obsidian Wax, simply because of the
car's colour. T'was a beat-up 12 year old back then and this is how it looks 11
months on...



All I have done is to give the car a bucketless wash. No QD was involved!

So, To The Potions List

So, To The Potions List

This was the 2014 list, the additions are highlighted in green....

• Cleaner / Shampoo - ONR for bodywork, HFE for wheels
• Polish - Liquid Shine Zero Swirl
• Pre-Wax Cleaner - Serious Performance Paint Cleaner
• Clay - replaced by ADS Clay Cloth
• Glaze - .50Cal Cover Up
• QD - SP Show Detailer (now in Version 3) / ADS Nano Gloss Paint Sealant
• Sealant - FK#1000p / FK #2180 sealant
• Paste Wax - Harlys / FK#2685 Pink Wax / ADS Obsidian Wax
• Liquid Wax - Serious Performance Spray Wax / CG Blacklight
• Tyres / Trim - FK#350 / FK#108AS
• Glass - ADS ArtDeGlass

...and for 2016

• Cleaner / Shampoo - ONR for bodywork & claycloth, HFE for wheels
• Polish - Liquid Shine Zero Swirl
• Pre-Wax Cleaner - Serious Performance Paint Cleaner
• Clay - [strike]ADS Clay Cloth[/strike], to be replaced by CarPro Claycloth
• Glaze / Paint Primer - [strike].50 Cal Cover Up[/strike] / CarPro Essence
• QD - SP Show Detailer V / ADS Nano Bio Coat
• Sealant - FK#1000p / FK #2180 sealant
• Paste Wax - Harlys / FK#2685 Pink Wax / ADS Obsidian Wax
• Liquid Wax - Serious Performance Spray Wax / CG Blacklight
• Tyres / Trim - FK#350 / FK#108AS
• Glass - [strike]ADS ArtDeGlass[/strike] / ADS ArtDeSpiros

While I focus on potions, it was 2 years ago in September since my Laguna
received its TacSystems "Sparkle" - more or less its planned lifetime. All I
can say is that I have been thrilled with its performance and its looks. Keeping
the car clean has mostly been down to the rain, even though I live in the driest
part of the UK.

Yes, the exercise was expensive, but it was worth every penny! The problem
I have is in wondering how much is now left on the paint. I have absolutely no
way of determining this but I certainly don't feel that I need to do any topping
up real soon, now.

The surface has of course been maintained to the best of my abilities, it still
feels as smooth as ever and there are very few, if any, swirls. The coating's
hardness has seen to that, but I haven't used that as an excuse to be less
careful with my ongoing maintenance.

The Product Highlights of 2016

The obvious highlight has been the introduction of CarPro's Essence. When
comparing it with ADS Blue Lotion, the main difference is the ease in buffing it
off, though some care needs to be taken in not breathing in the nanofine glass
dust. Despite the similarities in use of both products, I have posted a review
and application guide for Essence.

What I really like about products like Essence is the fact that they are true
restorative potions. No longer the filler-heavy glazes that can compromise the
longevity of a good wax. Okay, so the application of Essence may take a bit
of work and concentration, but if you cannot handle a machine, it's a god-send.

Chemical Guy's Hose Free Eco still features on my list though it probably won't
in 2017 as I reach the end of my stock. It's a real shame that it's no longer
sold. I've been searching for a replacement in the meanwhile. Though it's too
soon to recommend, I expect it to be "EcH20" from CarPro. It's still under early
testing here. The only concern is the need for skin protection.

I can barely believe that it's over 3 years ago since I was introduced to the
wonders of a clay cloth. I kinda cooked my original in an unintended 60degC
machine wash, though its replacement is still like new. Considering just how
much damage that I could potentially do, with no machine for correcting it,
there's no question that I'll only replace it with a branded one, rather than
from a questionable source. I simply see it as a tool, so no compromises!

Falling back on SPSD will be no hardship, it still has the Wow factor, despite
the advent of the silane based QDs in the meantime.

I replaced the ArtDeGlass with ArtDeSpiros mostly because of the latter's
bigger beads and less misting. My bottle will probably last for years, because
I only use a few drops at a time on the windscreen, annually. The future seems
to be all about coatings, so finding an alternative won't be difficult.

So, To The Future

Well, as I've alluded to, finding replacements for some brilliant products that
came from the ADS stable will be the biggest battle. Luckily, I have stocks
that'll last me quite a while. Rationing it all out will be the main consideration,
until I find suitable replacements. At least there is no hurry.

I do have some concerns with the wonderful wizardry offered by the chemical
boffins supplying this industry. I come from a time when the warmth of your
hands helped enormously with the spreading of a protective potion. Getting
hands-on with some cherished metal was all part of the deal.

So I tend to greet with horror the need to wear protective gloves. Detailing,
especially as a hobby, was meant to be therapeutic, but I fear that it's almost
inexorably heading toward the need to dress up like Darth Vader even before
you open the container.

My limited motor function also doesn't welcome the need for nitrile gloves,
though eye protection has always been an absolute given. Products like Essence
and EcH20 do have some specific PPE considerations. At least with Essence you
can avoid skin contact by technique and choice of applicator. Quite how this can
be achieved for removing bird-bombs with EcH20, I'm unsure.

With the Sparkle having come to the end of its planned longevity, it's probable
that the Laguna will go back to Oldham for a little more orange-peel removal.

With the Clay Cloth being one step change and products like Essence becoming
the next, I wonder what will be next to fundamentally change this hobby?

Regards,
Steve

 

[LowiePete]

15 January 2017

For this particular morning's quick test the car was a blue Mégane belonging
to Karl's missus; he of R5GTT mechanic fame. It seems that there's various
shades of "Electric Blue" from the Renault palette because this finish didn't
turn out quite as expected. What was missing was the subtle change from
blue to purple in the metallic flake

So, with the car having been given a jet-wash before I arrived, I was able to
give it a close ONR bucketless wash; what that stuff removes continues to
please! With Karl busy giving the interior a good clean; not for me the odd
sticky residues left by young'uns, I got on with giving the car a clay cloth
treatment. Oh boy, did it need it? The sound like sawing wood even drew
Karl's attention.

Once the cloth treatment had gone silent he was duly impressed at the huge
difference twixt treated and untreated surfaces. It became clear that some
panels on this car had been re-sprayed, with the bonnet giving the game
away most of all. So, I gave Karl a quick briefing on how to tackle the rest of
the vertical panels with the clay cloth while I got out a polishing pad and the
Liquid Shine.

It was a bit of a vainglorious attempt; it would need a machine for a proper
go, but following that with the CarPro Essence did improve its looks quite a
a bit. With just 30 minutes left there was only one course of action remaining
and that was a quick coat of ArtDeShine ADK wax. With Karl able to follow
me round with the buffing cloth I think he got a few more surprises.

Obviously, the clay cloth gave the biggest change in both look and feel of the
surface. Next came the bonnet treatment, despite my only giving it a tickle.
However, when he saw that I used just 6 very tiny dabs at the wax to do the
whole car in less than 15 minutes, that really topped-off the eye-opening. As
ever, I think it's the ease and simplicity of the methods used that really
underlined that morning's work.

While Karl was busy doing a quick tidy up of the unit, I gave the horizontal
surfaces a quick spray of ADS Nano Bio Coat. The sheer slickness of feel that
product gives is like nothing else I've ever experienced. Apply it to the inside
of door handles and users will do a double-take with its initial silky feel.

The door glass and their lower rubbers, along with the windscreen inside,
were give an ADS Blue Lotion treatment. This makes dropping the glass
quicker to operate and less work for their motors. The windscreen was
given a coat of ArtDeJohnson on the outside. All the exterior glass had been
clay clothed, with ADK wax applied to the rear.

With time being short I took no before or during photos, but here's a few
taken when we moved the car outside...



















Quite a rich blue, but no purple...

Not long after I'd gone, a chap two doors down on the industrial estate came
to inspect and was blown away by the feel of the car's paint. So much so that
I have a tuition detail on a dark blue Rav4 to do this coming week. With that
car I'll be using CarPro's Essence and trying out Essence Plus. The MSDS for
the latter is a bit scarier than that for the former, so both do need some PPE
attention. I'll report my findings.

Regards,
Steve

 

[LowiePete]

20 February 2017

Hello Folks,

Celebrating 8 years Since Inception

At the risk of continuous repetition, where have those years gone? :doublesho
To think that it was 19 February 2009 when its production process began!

The car hasn't gone far this winter, so for the past near 3 months it has stood
gathering fallout, most of which has dried to a crust, so some care will be
needed to avoid swirling the surface. It's now well over 2 years since the car
received its Tac Sparkle and to my mind, the protection is still largely intact.

These first 7 pictures show the surface before starting...





These horizontal surfaces present several visual clues that I'm going to need to
take care. Normally, I would use ONR for this task, but having now used ADS
No Rinse Showroom Shine (ANRSS) over several months now, I'm happy to
use that instead. The other reason is that despite the hopefully temporary
hiatus in UK supply, the Coupé is still my unique test-bed for the ADS range.







Just lately I've been reading a lot about "Rinseless Washes" on here, where
there are performance comparisons being made where none actually exist.
In view of the potential contentiousness of that remark, I have avoided
joining these debates. As a fairly prolific writer about ONR in particular, what
has happened over many years is that almost the World and his brother has
sent me trial potions to test. This leaves me with quite a lot of experience on
how these potions work, or not.

To my mind Rinseless Wash potions as a class are simply fruit, and the
individual products are apples and pears, or oranges. Where they differ, quite
massively, is in how they interact with the dirt and detach it from the surface.
So far, ONR stands apart from almost all other products I've used. My evidence
for this is in this next picture...



The bucket contains about 4 litres of water and 30ml of ONR. I've not been
able to replicate that behaviour with _any_ other rinseless wash product.
For that picture I used a noodle mitt to clean the underside of a mudguard
on my car which had picked up dirt and straw from local farm roads up in
Cumbria. To gather the main dirt in the bucket, I created a vortex to centre
it. Note the almost complete lack of clouding despite this vigorous stirring!

Study the picture closely, there's a lot more information there for the seeing
eye. The method by which the dirt is enveloped by the detergent content is
another almost unique aspect. So, unless the product(s) you're attempting to
compare with ONR can come close to emulating what you see in the bucket,
my belief is that no proper comparative judgement can be made. There seems
to be very little emphasis on ONR attempting to dissolve the dirt, instead
there's a heavy reliance on its wrapping polymers, obviously to great effect!





The Wash Process

Preparation involved a large bucket with around 5 litres of water and 30ml of
ANRSS. A 1.5l pump sprayer with 45ml ANRSS and several clean MF cloths,
all folded into 4.

Bearing in mind my previous remarks, there are some similarities with my
ongoing method although I also need to bear in mind some very important
differences. Certainly the spray and dwell aspect remains exactly the same.
Whatever happens, the reliance is upon the potion to play its part in getting
the dirt off and giving it time is essential.

Wiping the surface with a lightly dampened MF cloth comes next. Just a single
very gentle drag from right to left, leaving a clean and still very smooth and
slick surface. I was thrilled to find a surface that was so obviously protected.
Next is where there is a huge departure from the ONR process.



This second picture shows that despite the crust, the surface is still doing its
best to repel the water. It's a larger resolution portion of the picture above.
The way that ANRSS tackles the job is by reducing the dirt to the finest of
dust, by quite a factor! If I were to rinse the cloth out into the bucket, the
water would cloud instantly. It's the microscopic fineness of the dirt that is
noteworthy.



This means a vital change of technique is involved, namely to turn the cloth
over after _every_ wipe. This is regardless of how much dirt seems to show
itself in the cloth. With ONR, there are clear visual clues, with ANRSS, and
several other rinseless wash potions, there are none!

The extremely fine dirt is rendered neutral by the detergent process, so it is
made safe. What this means though is that you should _not_ wring out your
cloth during the wiping process (not a good idea with ONR and salt anyway).
If it becomes too wet after just a few wipes, dispose with the cloth and
continue with a fresh one, again, initially lightly dampened.

There is another potential downside to be aware of. It's no big deal provided
that you are aware. There _may_ be a trace amount of dirt still left on the
car, so rather than a final wipe with a dry MF cloth (something I advocate
against, but is often found as an instruction) go round again with a good QD.
Something like say Serious Performance Show Detailer would be good for
this as long as you're fully aware that you will probably collect up this dirt.

Note that what I'm saying is to use a good QD _instead_ of a dry buff-off as
per the usual instructions. The very fine dirt is now removed by a much safer
process. There's little new in this (even compared to usual washing methods)
and it's so fine that you'll probably not notice anything visually in the cloth
until most of the car is done.

ANRSS is not alone in the way it handles the dirt. In other words, most of
its competitors generally break down the dirt to a lesser extent. If anyone
wants to try and emulate my ONR bucketless wash process with another
rinseless potion, this post will give you pointers on what to look out for and
how to keep your technique safe.

The upshot of all this is that I _always_ fall back onto ONR when doing the
inspection clean ahead of a full detail. In my experience, no other cleaning
product has come close due to its dirt handling and removal properties.



The remaining pictures show the completed wash which was followed by a
quick QD with ADS Nano Bio Coat. I do apologise for discussing products
that are difficult to come by in the UK, but I'm doing my best to advocate
for that to change.

I've said enough, I'll let the pictures do the talking from here.
Enjoy...















Considering that the tyres have not received their FK #350 coating in over
3 months also, and despite the salt attack, they're not looking neglected.







Regards,
Steve

 

[LowiePete]

16 March 2017

Hello Folks,

So, the Coupé enters its 9th year today, and tomorrow it faces another MOT.
As the car is a keeper, Karl my mechanic and I have embarked upon a plan
of renewal over this and the next two years. This year, the 8th, it's mostly the
suspension, with new springs, shock absorbers and anti-friction bearings.

Next year, the 9th, will be a thorough brake overhaul, pads, discs and caliper
kits. That will mean new fluids along with ignition coils and spark-plugs.

The 10th year will be all the bushes, front and rear steering and ARBs. It'll
also involve the fuel system, with pumps and filters replaced.

Back to today, so it's the car's annual service and I'm lucky enough to be
able to give the wheels a good clean. This first picture shows one of the
wheels after having a BH Auto-Wheel treatment. Absolutely no reaction!



That nil reaction is possibly down to ADS ArtDeJohnson which has also been
key in making wheel cleaning a complete breeze. From this point I didn't
bother continuing with the Auto Wheel.

As I was sorting through my detailing stores cupboard the other day, I came
across a bottle of gTechniq C5. So, I thought I'd apply it to my wheels today.
I was quite surprised at how far it spread, but also startled at how much
muck the applicator pad was pulling out. It's clear that this is expected as
there are 6 of them in the pack.

Both application and buffing-off were a complete breeze. Here's some views
of the first completed wheel...







By this time, Karl was making good progress, so I sent him off underneath
the car with the camera...





The rear beam has had its covers removed and not before time. This will get
a Bilt Hamber Dynax-UC treatment before the covers get replaced. The rear
ARB bushes may be out of sight, but not out of mind...









The springs have a particular rating, even between cars of the same type,
so not all 205GTs are fitted with the same. For this car, the code is blue
black and orange as seen on these very exposed fronts. Trying to keep these
clean is really not feasible...



Well ahead of my expectations of today's progress, here's the passenger
side front spring and shock absorber replaced, along with a bit of cleaning
of its surroundings...



...and here's the undertray given a quick clean...



...and joined by the rear beam covers...



Luckily, I've had the replacement parts for this stage of the car's ongoing
overhaul in stock well ahead of time, especially as my R5GTT, glimpsed in the
photos, is also nearing completion of its restoration. Nevertheless, the PayPal
is facing quite a hammering over the next few days.

Regards,
Steve

 

[LowiePete]

17 March 2017

Hello Folks,

So, to day 2 of end of year-end preparations for the next MOT. In the morning
it was down to Karl to finish off changing over the springs and shock absorbers.
He came to collect me after lunch where there was still some under-arch
cleaning to do. If I have one criticism of Renault in this area, it's that they
have not made it either easy to clean, or easy to keep clean.

These first two pictures show part of the control arrangements for the 4 wheel
steering. In the top picture there's rubber-sealed cup (seen under the box in
the top right) which needs keeping an eye on. Basically, if the edges of the
rubber show any sign of detaching, it's time to replace that and all the other
bushes.





The plastic inserts just inside the wings are a total pain to keep black, but
I am pleased with way that the FK #350 is keeping the surface hydrophobic.



These next 3 pictures show the areas where we'll need to concentrate our
aim with the Dynax-UC...







...and 2 pictures of the treated areas...





As I walking past this wheel, I could not resist the totally eye-confusing shine
and reflections...



Now we come to under the bonnet. Removing the front suspension struts
meant removing a fair bit of non-relevant stuff, like the wiper blades and
two covers below the windscreen. There are a couple of other plastic trims
inside the wings that also need to be unclipped.







I was astonished at just how grubby the removed parts were, but now I'm
aware of them and the relative ease of their removal, they will get a bit more
attention in the future...



The cover below the base of the screen trim replaced...



Way back when, I mentioned the car getting badly bird-bombed in Halford's
car park. I was unaware of one of them dropping through these trims. Here's
the resulting damage, with some bits quite impossible to remove...



The car passed its MOT with compliments on its condition :thumb:

Regards,
Steve

 

[LowiePete]

Hello Folks,

Sorry for another massive posts update - I'd forgotten that this thread existed

This more or less brings me up to date with postings about the Laguna that I had
placed on the Detailing World site. Sadly, none of the pictures show on the original
thread since the collapse of the postimage site and its transfer to a new domain.

2018 has been a very quiet year as far as detailing is concerned mostly due to me
smashing my hip whilst showing the R5GTT in Sheringham last June. The Laguna
is due some fairly extensive work this year with me choosing to replace all the rubber
bushes as part of its rolling restoration / maintenance. Maybe later in the year it'll
go back to Oldham for another gentle damp-sanding to finally bring the paint to
its flattest and best. More of that anon...

Regards,
Steve

 

[LowiePete]

This Should Be Post #22 of this thread

08 November 2013


Hello Folks,

Introduction

Finally, I'm home after a bit of an adventure in the North West of England. I
had intended only staying overnight in Cumbria, but that got extended to a
few days. After the build-up in Matt's earlier thread, I'm very aware of how
the expectations of this outing and my reporting of it have grown.

I do hope that you don't find the result too disappointing. I wasn't really able
to comment in that thread because I left here as a complete newbie and not
really knowing quite how the day would unfold. What I'm aiming to do here is
to try and explain a transition from the tried and tested methods that we've
all cut our teeth upon to what is, at first sight, a bewildering new system of
paint protection.

If you line up the shampoo/cleaner, pre-wax cleaner, polish and lsp products
in a row, like most people here, I'm pretty comfortable with understanding
their place in the scheme of things. Present me with a box of 6 x 20ml bottles
of clear liquid with unfamiliar names and this ol'fellah is a tad out of his depth!

4am in Lowestoft

After an indifferent period of rest through a very windy night, my jarring alarm
at 4am was the beginning of what was to turn out as a day of very rich
experiences. The 220 mile journey to Oldham was completed in almost 4 hours
dead. The A17 was relatively quiet and I almost had the A1 all to myself.

8.30 in Oldham

Having headed off the M62 and followed the winding roads of Saddleworth
Moor, it was clear that there had been some "weather" overnight, with water
streaming across the road in many places. Inching past the gates of Matt's
yard, there was the man himself preparing to open said gate. Perfect timing!

Now I don't know about you, but 8.30am of a Sunday morning is really a time
to be enjoying a bit of a lie-in under a nice warm quilt, especially on a cold,
wet and windy day! Now you'll begin to see what I mean about the richness
of the day. Matt wasn't on his own, as Lee aka Orbital and Craig aka Bevvo
were also there as my reception committee. To say that my welcome was
warm is really a bit of an understatement. You'll see how this will fall into
context as I continue the story.

Lee had brought with him a favoured "toy" in the form of a Kranzle PW and
before I knew it, the car was basking in its snow coating. There were some
interesting parts where the protection was having none of it. Indeed, when
it was rinsed off, the differences in beading patterns on the car's roof were
very marked!

The previous day I had clay-clothed the front half of the car. That's a
process that I very much enjoy, so I set to and completed the rear half.
Despite my having clayed the car only last August, it was telling just how
much the paint surface had gathered in the meantime.

The strange part about that is how it's others who now remark on the raw
noises that the clay cloth makes. I've now done 6 cars with the cloth so it's
almost second nature to me. Nevertheless, I still wonder at the finish! :thumb:

Not only that, I'd not bother with looking at cheaper clay cloths. If you think
anything of your paint, you're simply not going to allow the risk of marring it
with sub-standard tools, are you? I don't quite understand the idea of making
extra work for yourself in the polishing stages by ignoring what might be
happening during the decontamination process.

The Lights of Doom

As Lee and Craig gave the car a bucket wash, I teased them about not
inflicting any swirls as I was anxious to see the paint in detail after my near
5 years of bucketless / rinseless washing. By this time the rain was beginning
to persist outside and Matt was keen to get the car inside. My banter was
well countered with dire and ominous warnings about "the lights of doom" :doublesho

Should I be worried? Well, I've got to admit that I was feeling apprehensive;
perhaps the washing regime that I've followed for all this time was flawed
after all. There was then a short hiatus when my camera went missing. I'd
temporarily worn my jacket during the car's washing and not realised I'd
picked it up at that time. I'd have sworn that it wasn't in the pocket where
it was eventually found! As for the condition of the paint surface, I need not
have worried...

10am and Close Inspection Time

This was probably one of the biggest eye-openers for me. One aspect of
professional detailers, as opposed to detailing, that's very rarely described
here is their sheer dedication. Looking at a car's paint with a "seeing eye"
and knowing what the cause of most blemishes are takes a pretty special
kind of person. Time to put the rose-tinted spectacles away!

As a keen amateur myself, I've always believed that my desire for a "perfect"
result comes fairly high on the scale. Certainly, if it were based on some of
the efforts of my past, then I can hold my head high. What immediately
became apparent that morning is that I've only ever been playing at it.
And how!

When I first found DW I was a bit awe-struck, wondering how my efforts as
a guy with gammy hands and an unsteady gait would fare against what I was
seeing here. I have to say that I've been mightily relieved that my techniques
haven't been ridiculed into oblivion. Quite the opposite. Even so, it isn't until
you get under those lights and get guidance from a dedicated artisan that
your own results are put into proper perspective.

Up to this point I thought I was aware of all the problem areas on the car.
Nothing, but nothing, was missed by Matt. We even discussed the weird
striations in the paint on the driver's side door. I've was aware of those, but
there were other areas, like on the boot lid, where a few shocks awaited.

It was time to explore the contents of the Octagon Formula "black box" -
first off, the panel wipe - ArtDeParadise. Well, that colourless and quite
odourless concentrate was baffling. Did it contain IPA or what? As Matt
walked away to dilute it, I did joke that perhaps Alfred had sent me 6
small bottles of water after all :lol:





Once diluted into a 500ml bottle it did foam a bit. This was tried on the
paint, and deemed not to dry quickly enough in the current ambient
temperature. So, another panel wipe was used. Again, this was followed by
another close inspection. I then took heart in mouth and dared to utter a
burning question. Would the paint need any machining?

I was completely unprepared for the answer: "Not today it won't"! I have
learned, very quickly, that there's one thing that'll always happen with Matt;
ask him a question and you get a straight and totally honest answer, no
messing. I don't think that there's anything that can give you more sheer
confidence and respect in a person than that!

As if that had perhaps been lost on me, both Lee and Craig, almost in
unison, expressed their satisfaction with Matt's approach. Then it was my
turn, as there then came a flow of compliments about how well the surface
of my car looked, considering the washing regime that I practice. If I'm to
be honest myself, at this point there was a bit of a lump beginning to form
in my throat...

11am and Newbie Questions Time

Me, being me, one of my first questions had nothing to do with the shine,
or the beading, or even longevity of the coatings; I wanted to learn about
how my ongoing maintenance may or may not be affected. I've discussed
this a bit in the Disabled Detailing thread, where I've avoided going to any
nano coatings, mostly because they don't live well with my ONR cleans.

After all the work that was being put in before my eyes, one thing that I
wanted to do is treat it with respect and do nothing to interfere with it.
To put this into a nutshell, the coatings that Matt was going to apply are
an integrated system that can be summed-up simply as primer, coating
and hardener. Though applied separately in just 3 stages, they are actually
a concatenation of what should be eight processes - hence the mysterious
"Octagon" name.

Now comes the best bit. Once hardened, these coatings can then take a
further sacrificial layer of, wait for it, wax. Oh yes, and that can be any
wax of your choice! I'm sure that it's quite inappropriate to blow kisses in
the direction of Singapore, but guess how much was that music to my ears?

12pm and First Coating Applied

It looks like I'm totally hopeless at taking pictures of swirls. What I probably
do is fail to compensate for the camera's own flash. However, I was quietly
proud of the paint's condition, though I'll discuss this in more detail in the
Disabled Detailing thread.



Speaking of that thread, it was time to meet Steven aka m2srt, someone
whom I'd briefly encountered when he'd posted his Spring plan of action
earlier this year. You should have seen his eyes light up when I mentioned
my other car, the R5GTT.

Steven's car knowledge is something to be reckoned with too. There was
some surprise when I mentioned the sums that the R5 Turbo, as opposed
to the GT Turbo fetch. The former car is the mid-engined jobby with the very
wide rear skirts. Like the others, he expressed some surprise that my car isn't
garaged and followed that with another warm compliment on its condition.

Here's the car with its first coating. This was ArtDeRaven and this needed at
least 2 hours before it could be followed by the next coat. It's very difficult
to convey, but there was some darkening of the paint, certainly from this
coat and from the next.





What I found quite surprising was just how quickly you could get in there
with the buffing towel! These potions are not quite WOWA, but they really
are not difficult to apply, or buff off. However, you shouldn't expect instant
changes, the paint darkening and deep shine take a while to develop and
are very satisfying! :buffer:



12.45pm and some Subtle Changes

What I also found pleasing was that the shine was staying relatively deep.
I've never liked the sterile look on this car. There's nothing that will send me
scurrying for the carnauba quicker than that cold and stark look!





2pm - 2nd Coat and a Surprise

The second stage of this system was to apply ArtDeKeegan. Now apparently
this coating is designed like a second clear-coat and compared to its
predecessor it is quite thick. I should stress that all this is utterly relative!
I'll discuss how far the contents of each bottle will stretch in Part 2, but don't
for a moment read my remarks as you needing to ladle it on - far from it!

Just a few minutes into the application came an astonishing announcement
from Matt. The Keegan was fetching dirt out of the paint! Below is the
applicator with the evidence...



Just how could this happen? Well, to try and simplify the science, what the
Raven does is to seek to bond itself to the paint and in so doing it will force
dirt out of the pores, bringing it to the surface. The dirt isn't there due to
poor washing technique, besides which Matt had been pretty ruthless with
the chemicals used during those stages. Again, all relative to the very gentle
tickling that I generally give the paint.





Once again, it was just a case of going straight in with the buffing towel. This
time there was a small amount of grab which was a bit baffling. Up to now
my experience of ADS products has produced remarkable slickness. Anyway,
the science of that was readily explained by our last visitor of the day, Lee
aka Goodfella36.



One of the reasons why I expressed relief at Matt's decision not to do any
machine work was a private desire to see just how long I could take my car
and its current washing regimen before needing such work. As the day was
progressing this was quietly being reassessed in my head. I think Lee was
quietly itching to have a go, the look of sadness that crossed his face when I
denied him didn't go unnoticed!













By 3.30pm tummy rumblings were such that it was time for some sustenance.

Continued in Part 2

 

[LowiePete]

This Should be Post #23 of this thread

I've got a feeling that the beautiful lines of that Laguna were beginning to
plant quite unexpected seeds in the minds of the various operators that
day. They were quietly being drawn under its spell as the day progressed.
I know where they're at, I've "suffered" from that for nigh on 5 years!

Anyone who has followed my threads on ADS products will know that I bought
some ArtDeGlass at the same time as the group buy on the Obsidian Wax was
on. Having chatted to Matt about this, it looks like I probably hadn't quite
applied it correctly, so the opportunity to correct that was taken. The white
cloths that came with box made application much easier than with a standard
MF cloth :thumb:

One small criticism of the ArtDeGlass is the tiny size of the beads. Compared
to the gTechniq G3 I've applied in the past, the bead size from the ADS potion
causes a kind of misting on the screen. It's still fantastic not to need wipers
at about 35mph and above though :thumb:

5pm and Final Coat

With the weather outside being pretty grotty for most of day, Matt was quite
concerned that the car would need to be facing the elements, particularly
rain, too soon after the final coat - ArtDeSpiros. Having returned from a very
tasty beef and gravy snack, the Keegan was ready for its hardener.



Yet again, the buffing could be done almost instantly after application. Here,
Lee has swapped places with Matt in applying the Spiros. With the thickness
of the applicator cloths and the few drops of potion applied, the back of the
pad stays entirely dry.



By this time, I'm finding myself discussing the possibilities around coming back
next May on my next visit to Cumbria. I was then introduced to the idea that
this process would take up to 3 days! Oh my word, what are these guys
cooking up between them now? There was even some mention of tackling
the orange peel :doublesho

Not only that, that lump in my throat I talked about earlier had somewhat
grown! This had been quite a memorable day for me; one that really I was
wholly unprepared for. The level of kindness shown to me by everyone really
only ever happens to other people. When it came to the time of opening up
the shutters to leave, I was rather overwhelmed.



There was one final disconcerting moment when Lee was giving the paint quite
a close examination. He'd come to see how the application process of these
new ADS products compare to other coatings. According to Matt, Lee is a
bit of an oracle on the subject of coatings, so I'll leave it to him to describe.
However, what was alarming was that in reality there was some fairly severe
water-spotting going on.

So, being parked outside in the most Easterly town in Britain, one of the driest
places in the country, had left its mark(s). Other than garaging the car, I'm
not sure I can do much about it. The damage is probably from an air-borne
mix of crud getting caught by early morning dews and then getting baked
hard by an unremitting sun. The car faces SSE when parked.



Nevertheless, as both Matt's and my own photos show, by now the finish on
the car is looking pretty tasty! I'm looking out of my studio window as I write
and the bead patterns on the car are much prettier than hitherto. Another,
quite amazing, phenomenon that I've noticed is that the patterns change
almost minute by minute according to how heavily it rains. How marvellous
is that for all the beading-porn fans out there?

8pm - Arrival at Tebay Services

Luckily, apart from a very short shower in Oldham, the journey up the M62
and M6 was largely dry. Here's a couple of quick pictures of the car at Tebay,
just 6 miles from destination.





Conclusions & Next Day's Revelations

I think it's fair to say that I was quite taken aback by Alfred's generosity in
sending me the mystery black box as a gift. What I encountered in Oldham
was simply an extension of that kind generosity, from everyone who turned
up on the day. I was also surprised that mine was the first Laguna Coupé
they had physically seen, even though they've been around for 5 years!

When this day was announced, everyone clamoured for reports in intricate
detail accompanied by videos. It wasn't going to be that sort of day - more
an exploratory day of testing some extraordinary potions. Actually, almost
at the end, Lee dropped an MF cloth on the bonnet and from quite an
amazing low angle it slowly began to slide off. I did try to video that, but
my gammy fingers got in the way

The Octagon System black box had 4 of its 6 bottles used. The ArtDeGlass
was already in my stock and instead of using the ArtDeWheel, Matt used
some ArtDeNano. Usage of product wasn't even across all bottles. Almost
half of the Raven was used, with about a third of the Keegan and not much
more than a quarter of the Spiros. The remarkable thing about this being
that they are 20ml bottles!

One thing I did discuss with Matt in detail is the fact that the box doesn't
contain any instructions and having seen face-masks being worn, there are
no safety recommendations either! In my opinion, seeing that Alfred plans
to give away a dozen as DW Prize Draw gifts, this is quite a serious omission.
Anyway, I've left my feedback on this with Matt and any detailed discussions
of these I'll leave twixt supplier and distributor, though I am only too happy
to help in this direction if requested.

Whilst I'm dealing with negatives, in the other thread someone mentioned that
the paint preparation needs polishing to the Nth degree. You're probably quite
right, because there are two bird-etch areas on the car's bonnet where the
coatings are almost highlighting their existence, rather than masking them.
If the weather allows, I'll probably apply some Obsidian Wax, just for some
comparison.

On the plus side, I think it's worth mentioning again that other than a very
quick clay-cloth treatment, there were no abrasive processes used prior to
the coatings being applied to my car. While I could go on and claim bragging
rights, I think it also says a lot about this coating system; at least on the
degree of forgiveness it affords. :thumb:

The next morning, after 3 degrees of frost, I found this...



See if you can pick out the area above from this picture...



On Tuesday, after a night of rain, I found this...



a patch out of this...



...and no, I still don't hold any store by beading, but I do thoroughly enjoy
the pretty patterns!

The Last Word

In my closing remarks I want to find words that can fully express my sincere
thanks to mine host, Matthew Rowe. From his warm hand-shake at the start
of the day to his waving me away at the end, even with my command of the
language, I'm finding this very difficult to describe without welling up.
Whatever Matt's intentions for the day were, they worked!

I have previously described the passion that Alfred and Matt have for the
ADS range, but to witness that passion for his craft in person from Matt is
quite another matter. If anyone reading this gets the opportunity to meet
both together later this year, whatever you do, don't miss it! Weather
permitting, I'll be going...

For me, you guys cooked up a day that I was totally unprepared for and I
really cannot thank you enough! We'll be organising a fuller session for next
May when I'll be much better prepared and I'll maybe have a few surprises
of my own, that could include a mix of some good food and culinary skills...

My humble thanks :wave:

Regards,
Steve